Once the first batch of tea was processed, Lin Zhen leveraged his connections to successfully market it.
The tea’s quality was exceptional, and Song Wei had even designed specialized packaging for it. This made the tea an impressive gift for clients and leaders alike.
The name “Golden Vein Tea” was well-chosen, and they even crafted a compelling backstory to go with it.
Song Wei set her sights on television advertising and eventually settled on the slogan: “When drinking tea, choose Golden Vein Tea.”
Simple yet memorable, this slogan successfully boosted the tea’s popularity, attracting orders from all over the country to Ping’an Brigade.
Their first batch of tea sold out quickly.
Although they hadn’t yet turned a profit, the revenue from the first year nearly covered the initial investment in the tea plantation.
Barring any unexpected setbacks, the tea plantation was expected to become profitable in its second year.
That same year, the goji berries also reached harvesting season.
Finding sales channels for the goji berries was relatively easy. In recent years, various industries had been thriving, and the pharmaceutical sector was no exception.
Song Wei’s goji berries caught this wave of opportunity, successfully securing several stable cooperation channels.
Even in the future, she wouldn’t have to worry about sales for her goji berries.
The bees raised in the goji berry garden also yielded a harvest—a batch of goji honey. Combining the flavor of honey with medicinal benefits, it was packaged as a premium product targeted at wealthy business owners and the elderly.
That year, the orders for Song Wei’s once-doubted tea plantation and goji berries surged to levels that sparked envy and admiration.
No one dared to call Song Wei a spendthrift or claim she was unworthy of Lin Zhen anymore.
Whenever such comments arose, the local villagers were the first to defend her.
After all, Song Wei was practically their patron saint of wealth.
The tea plantation and goji berry fields provided them with substantial annual income, even surpassing what young people could earn working elsewhere.
Under Song Wei and the production team leader’s guidance, many villagers successfully sold significant quantities of raised chickens, ducks, geese, and even fish.
Of course, there were losses too. Raising poultry was prone to diseases, and illnesses often spread quickly.
To address this, some university students from the village who had been admitted to college specifically studied veterinary medicine, aiming to return and help villagers treat their livestock.
In the first year of profitability for Song Wei’s tea plantation, she became pregnant again, just as the twins were about to turn ten.
She and Lin Zhen had been using contraception because both were busy, and Lin Zhen worried he wouldn’t be able to care for her properly if she became pregnant again.
This pregnancy, however, was the result of Lin Zhen being drugged at a business dinner.
Fortunately, Song Wei was also at their city home at the time, as the twins and Lin Ping’an were attending school in the city.
That night, they didn’t use contraception, but the next day, Song Wei and Lin Zhen together tracked down the person who had drugged him, beat him half to death, and then handed him over to the police.
“Since it’s happened, we might as well welcome the baby,” Song Wei said with a relaxed attitude.
With the tea plantation and goji berry operations running smoothly, she didn’t have to worry too much.
Lin Zhen, concerned about her well-being and the emotional sensitivity that often accompanies pregnancy, reduced most of his business dinners and social engagements. Aside from working at his company, he spent his time at home with Song Wei.
With more free time, Song Wei occasionally accompanied him to social events.
“You know, I just thought of something,” she said one day, munching on an orange while leaning against Lin Zhen.
“There’s a pine forest on the back mountain of our brigade, right? The pine nuts there are big and delicious. It feels like such a waste to just leave them there.”
Lin Zhen held her close. “What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t want to do it myself,” she replied. “Haven’t many places started rural cooperatives lately? We should suggest this to the production team leader and let him handle it. Roasted pine nuts are delicious and would definitely sell well during the New Year season.”
Lin Zhen thought about it and agreed it was a feasible idea.
The pine nuts from their mountains were large and plump, with a distinct aromatic flavor when roasted.
Every year, some people would forage for them to prepare for the New Year, but most of the pine nuts ended up rotting on the ground or burned along with the pinecones.
Even the squirrels in the forest, as much as they loved hoarding food, could only take away about a third of them.
The main issue was that the pine forest was simply too vast.
“Alright, I’ll go back and discuss it with the production team leader,” Lin Zhen said.
Song Wei added, “I want to go back too. I still prefer our hometown.”
Their city house was beautiful and lively—a standalone villa with its own estate. But Song Wei loved the natural environment of the countryside more. The sight of green mountains and clear waters always lifted her spirits.
Lin Zhen replied, “Then let’s go back.” He always indulged her.
“But what about the kids?” Song Wei asked.
Lin Zhen said, “They’re grown up now and can take care of themselves. Besides, Ping’an is there too.”
Song Wei chuckled. “Alright then, let’s go home!”
Lin Zhen handed over his company responsibilities to Jiang Wenwu and his assistants, taking a long paternity leave.
Jiang Wenwu was utterly exasperated. “Are you two even human? Just dumping all the company work on us like that?!”
Lin Zhen simply said, “The assistants’ salaries will be doubled. As for you… I’ll give you a larger share of this year’s dividends from my account.”
“Sure thing, boss! We’ll manage the company well. You just focus on taking care of Sister Song!”
Tempted by the financial incentives, they eventually gave in.
As for the children at home…
“Mom! Dad! You can’t just leave us behind! We want to go back too!” Xiao Nan wailed the loudest, clinging to Song Wei’s legs.
“Mom, you can’t be so cruel! I want to watch my little sister grow in your belly too! Please let me come back with you!”
With features strikingly similar to Lin Zhen’s, he nevertheless acted like a little rascal. Outside, especially at school, Xiao Nan put on a rebellious front, but in front of Song Wei, he was as meek as a lamb—because both adults in the household could easily put him in his place.
Song Wei glanced at him dismissively. “Hah, you just don’t want to study, do you?”
The boy had always been academically challenged, scheming to skip classes since he was little.
“And who told you it’s a sister? What if it’s another brother?”
“Ugh, don’t say that, Mom! It has to be a sister! Little sister, don’t listen to her—grow up quickly!”
Lin Zhen also hoped for a daughter—a sweet, soft little girl would be perfect. Two mischievous boys were already more than enough.
“Enough,” Lin Zhen said. “You’ll stay at the school dormitory. The driver will bring you back every Friday after school.”
With a housekeeper at home, Lin Ping’an—who was about to take the college entrance exams—was highly self-disciplined in both life and studies. Xiao Bei’s academics didn’t worry Song Wei either. It was only Xiao Nan who needed extra attention, but his younger brother could keep him in line.
So, without any worries, Song Wei and Lin Zhen happily returned to the village.
The road back to the village was smooth and paved with cement, funded half by Lin Zhen and Song Wei and half by the village. It made travel much more convenient.
The moment their car entered the village, it was surrounded.
“Song Wei and Lin Zhen are back!”
The scene was like a celebrity fan meet.
When everyone learned that Song Wei had returned because she was pregnant and preferred the hometown environment, their doorstep was practically worn out by visitors that very day.
People brought eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, and various kinds of meat until one room was nearly overflowing.
Song Wei stood with her hands on her hips. “We can’t possibly eat all this. What should we do?”
Lin Zhen wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. “Let’s give some away. I’ll cook something delicious for you.”
Despite being nearly 1.9 meters tall and maintaining his fit physique even while working in an office, the big boss never hesitated to roll up his sleeves and cook for his wife at home.
Once again, their home became a world for two—well, three, counting the little one growing in Song Wei’s belly.
But they never felt lonely.
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